This is a course about addiction to drugs and other behaviors. It will describe what happens in the brain and how this information helps us deal with and overcome addiction. It will also discuss other topics such as government policy and our vulnerability to take drugs.

From the lesson

Classes of Drugs, Part 2 & Animal Models

Upon completion of this module, learners will be able to: Become familiar with the last three classes of abusable drugs: the inhalants, caffeine and others; review the 10 classes of abused and addicting drugs, their effects, and toxicities; recognize the importance of using animals in research on addicting drugs; compare two important animal models, self-administration and conditioned place preference (CPP); and recognize how both animal drug self-administration and conditioned place preference (CPP) are used to understand how drugs work in the brain and how they are used to screen for and develop new treatments and medications.